MyOncofertility.org: A web-based patient education resource supporting decision making under severe emotional and cognitive overload

Abstract

As these scenarios illustrate, cancer patients and their families face a crucible of high-stake decisions during a time of extreme stress. They must cope with the shock and fear that attends a cancer diagnosis and navigate a complex set of treatment options. Then there is the often neglected issue of fertility preservation (FP) for those of reproductive age. Many cancer treatments, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, carry significant risks of irreversibly compromising a patient's fertility. Patients are often unaware of these risks and in far too many cases, their health-care providers (HCPs) do not adequately inform them of these risks or available fertility preserving or sparing options. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.